Abstract: Methods of producing a recombinant peptide, such as vessel dilator peptide (VSDL), are disclosed, including a particular method involving expressing a fusion polypeptide comprising concatemeric repeats of the peptide wherein the peptide is flanked by peptide cleavage sites, and cleaving the fusion polypeptide at the peptide cleavage sites with a cleaving agent(s) so as to release the peptide from the fusion polypeptide. Expression constructs and host cells for producing the fusion polypeptide and purification methods for the recombinant peptide are also disclosed.

Abstract: The method and system of the current invention allows any type of drawing, whether raster or vector, to be transformed into an intelligent scalable vector graphics objects. An intelligent scalable vector graphics object is created for each part within a parts diagram. The intelligent scalable vector graphics objects can be viewed using a standard browser. The intelligent scalable vector graphics objects may contain interactivity intelligence and external link intelligence. The files created using the present method and system are extremely small, and can be used with applications on mobile devices.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of creating a bounding polygon around a graphical object, wherein the method comprises: creating a rectangular bounding box; placing a plurality of bisectors perpendicular to one side of the rectangular bounding box; for each bisector, determining a set of intersection points between the bisector and the graphical object; and for each set of intersection points, determining edgemost intersection points; wherein the bounding polygon is defined by a set of points created from the edgemost intersection points for each bisector.

Abstract: A toothpick dispenser with an elevated base having opposite end mount pedestals that rest on a supporting surface with the elevated base mounting a toothpick box that is slideable back and forth between opposite end limited positions. One position is established by limit position contact of the box with one of the pedestals and a lock device mounted in the elevated base at the mount pedestal at the other end is movable into an end limit blocking position for the box when the elevated base is put down on a supporting surface. There are two toothpick dispensing grooves in the upper surface of the elevated base, one for each of the opposite end positions of the toothpick holding box with the back edge of each groove being rounded to prevent jamming up of the dispenser box by either square centered toothpicks or round centered toothpicks whichever is being dispensed.